John Leguizamo

Actor, comedian, writer and producer John Leguizamo began his career on the experimental theater stages of New York's East Village, where his electrifying performances earned critical raves in one-man...
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Comediennes Tina Fey and Amy Poehler have signed up to lend their likenesses and voices to the upcoming New York Spring Spectacular show starring legendary dance troupe The Rockettes. The multi-media musical production will also feature video cameos from the likes of 50 Cent, Whoopi Goldberg, Bella Thorne, John Leguizamo, Martha Stewart and Donald Trump, while Nashville actors Laura Benanti and Derek Hough are set to take to the stage for each Radio City Music Hall show. The production begins in the Big Apple next month (Mar15).

Hollywood veterans Steven Spielberg, Kevin Spacey, and Julianne Moore have paid tribute to The Graduate director Mike Nichols following his death on Wednesday (19Nov14). Nichols, the husband of news anchor Diane Sawyer, passed away following a cardiac arrest. He was aged 83.
His director pal Spielberg has now paid a moving tribute, telling The Hollywood Reporter, "Mike was a friend, a muse, a mentor, one of America's all time greatest film and stage directors, and one of the most generous people I have ever known. For me, The Graduate was life altering... Mike had a brilliant cinematic eye and uncanny hearing for keeping scenes ironic and real. Actors never gave him less than their personal best - and then Mike would get from them even more. And in a room full of people, Mike was always the centre of gravity. This is a seismic loss."
More tributes poured in on social media from a number of stars including Kevin Spacey, who writes, "Mike Nichols gave me my start. A mentor, friend, colleague. One of the best observers of life. My thoughts are with Diane & his children."
Julianne Moore writes, "So very sad to hear of Mike Nichols death. A great talent, a wonderful, bright, charming human being," and Mia Farrow adds, "Funniest, smartest, most generous, wisest, kindest of all. Mike Nichols, a truly good man."
Zachary Quinto writes, "We've lost a tremendous artist. An arbiter of exquisite taste. A kind and generous man. A mind beyond compare. A heart full of unmitigated joy for life and art. You will be deeply missed sir. Rest in peace", and Billy Elliot star Jamie Bell adds, "Mike Nichols, your great work endures you. Thank you for all of it. Rest in peace."
Alec Baldwin offers, "There's one less truly brilliant director in the world today...." and John Leguizamo adds, "R.I.P what a genius... He will b (sic) missed!"
Bob Balaban, Entourage actor Jeremy Piven, director Edgar Wright and Scandal stars Tony Goldwyn and Joshua Malina also penned messages to Nichols.

Actor John Leguizamo's onscreen brawl with his To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar co-star Patrick Swayze was so realistic because the two actors were close to coming to blows for real. Leguizamo and Swayze played drag queens in the 1995 film and the Latino star admits they didn't have to dig too deep to find the anger they needed for a scrap.
In an interview on U.S. talk show Watch What Happens Live on Tuesday (21Oct14), Leguizamo reveals, "We did this scene where we were supposed to fight together. It was very realistic because we had a lot of off-screen beef.
"Swayze was cool, he was chill; I was a young actor trying to make it and I was just, like, ad-libbing like crazy. And he was like, 'You gotta stop that'. And I went, 'Make me'."
He continued, "I'm (from) New York. I get ghetto sometimes. I was a little insecure. But (co-star) Wesley (Snipes) was even like, 'Oh, I got your back'. And then we put it into the scene."
The two actors never came to blows off-screen, although Leguizamo admits they "pushed each other (around)" and challenged each other to throw a punch. The tension on set served both stars well - they earned Golden Globe nominations for their roles.

Zoe Saldana, America Ferrera, Eva Longoria and Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson are among the famous friends who have paid tribute to actress Elizabeth Pena following her death this week (beg13Oct14). The 55 year old passed away at a hospital in Los Angeles on Tuesday (14Oct14), and the tragedy has prompted an outpouring of grief among the acting community.
Pena played Sofia Vergara's onscreen mother in hit U.S. TV show Modern Family, and her co-star Ferguson mourned her loss in a post on Twitter.com, writing, "The entire cast and crew are very sad to say goodbye to one of our Modern Family members. RIP to the beautiful & talented #ElizabethPena."
Star Trek actress Saldana writes, "My heart is broken!!! My prayers are with you and your family. We will miss you #ElizabethPena."
Ugly Betty star Ferrera adds, "Heartbroken to hear the news of Elizabeth Pena's death. She was such a light. So glad I knew her. So sad she's gone," while actress Debra Messing offers, "I am stunned and heartbroken, just found out about the passing of my friend Elizabeth Pena. She was such a life force it's hard to believe."
Eva Longoria, who admits she is a big of Pena's work, writes, "RIP Elizabeth Pena. I was a fan since the days of I Married Dora & loved her in Jacob's Ladder & more recently Matador/Modern Family," and Longoria's former desperate Housewives co-star Dana Delany adds, "Aw...damn. Elizabeth Pena was a wonderful actress and even lovelier person. My thoughts are with her family."
Other tributes have come in from Gilles Marini, George Lopez , Lou Diamond Phillips, Robert Rodriguez, Frances Fish, Martha Plimpton and John Leguizamo.

Katie Holmes, Ariana Grande and Nicholas Hoult have signed up to get animated after joining the cast of upcoming family movie Underdogs. The trio joins Glee star Matthew Morrison, Ice Age's John Leguizamo and The Usual Suspects actor Chazz Palminteri for the film. Underdogs, an English-language adaptation of a popular Argentine comedy of the same name, is set for release in April (15).

Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Susan Sarandon and Edward Norton joined thousands of eco-activists on the streets of New York City on Sunday (21Sep14) to demand more action on climate change. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, acting couple Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick, Evangeline Lilly, and rocker Sting and his producer wife Trudi Styler also took part in the Big Apple leg of the People's Climate Change march.
Sedgwick took to her Twitter.com blog during the demonstration and declared, "Today I march (for) the future. #ActOnClimate (Our) only hope is to ban (sic) together And demand change", while actor John Leguizamo revealed his teenage child had also joined in, writing, "My daughter went to protest for global warming counter programing! 14 and already an activist! So proud".
The event attracted as many as 300,000 people and was billed as the biggest march for climate change action in history.
After the march, Ruffalo tweeted, "The #PeopleClimateMarch today was undeniably a historic moment in the fight against #climatechange ignorance 310k people strong!"
Other People's Climate Change demonstrations also took place in cities including Paris, France, Melbourne, Australia and London, where campaigners included Harry Potter co-stars Emma Thompson and Bonnie Wright.
The marches were planned to raise awareness about the cause ahead of the United Nation's climate change summit in New York on Tuesday (23Sep14), where new U.N. Messenger of Peace on Climate Change DiCaprio will address attendees.

Instagram/ruleyorkcity
Rapper Ja Rule is making a return to the big screen with a guest role in Tina Fey's new film The Nest.
The Always on Time hitmaker posted photos on Instagram.com on Tuesday (22Jul14) showing himself alongside Fey and co-star Amy Poehler on the set of their new comedy.
Rule, real name Jeffrey Atkins, is slated to play a "skilled rapper" during a party scene in the film, which centres on two sisters, played by Fey and Poehler, who decide to spend one last wild weekend in their childhood home before it goes on sale.
The role also reunites Rule with John Leguizamo, who co-starred with him in the 2005 film Assault on Precinct 13.
The hip-hop star has been busy rebuilding his career after he was released from prison in 2013 after serving a two-year stint for gun possession and tax evasion.

Hugh Jackman, Samuel L. Jackson and David and Victoria Beckham were among the celebrities who witnessed tennis champ Novak Djokovic defeat Roger Federer to win Britain's Wimbledon Men's title on Sunday (06Jul14). Prince William and his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Thor star Chris Hemsworth, Orlando Bloom, Kate Beckinsale and director Guy Ritchie were also in the stands at Centre Court as the Serbian sportsman emerged victorious after an epic five-set match, narrowly beating Federer 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 5-7, 6-4 to claim his second Wimbledon trophy.
Jackman shared a Twitter.com photo of himself and his wife Deborra-Lee Furness at the London venue and later congratulated Djokovic on his seventh Grand Slam title, writing, "One of the greatest matches of all time @Wimbledon. Well done @rogerfederer. Superb win and huge congratulations @DjokerNole."
He also uploaded a photo of Djokovic hugging his mentor, former tennis icon Boris Becker, after the match and added, "Epic moment for djokernole, Becker and their entire team. What a day @Wimbledon. One I will never forget."
Other stars watching the game on TV also shared their thoughts online, with British comedian Stephen Fry writing, "How magnificently graceful both players were in defeat and victory. Hurrah for that", and actor John Leguizamo tweeting, "Sorry #federer u (sic) gave it your all my friend! Great game!"
Meanwhile, One Direction singer Liam Payne added, "Congratulations @DjokerNole heard it was a great game can't wait to watch it back have a drunk (drink) on me".
Actresses Kate Walsh and Brooklyn Decker, singer Eliza Doolittle and Bridesmaids star Chris O'Dowd were also among the celebrities tweeting about the championship finals on Sunday.

EVA LONGORIA's hit TV drama Devious Maids looks set to lead the way at the 2014 Imagen Awards after picking up five nominations on Thursday (19Jun14). The top soap, which is executive produced by the former Desperate Housewives star, picked up all of its nods in the Best Actress/Television category, pitting Edy Ganem, Ana Ortiz, Dania Ramirez, Judy Reyes and Roselyn Sanchez against each other for the prize.
Crime drama The Bridge earned four nominations, including Best Actor/Television for Demian Bichir, Best Supporting Actress/Television for Catalina Sandino Moreno and Emily Rios, and Best Primetime Television Programme: Drama or Comedy, a category in which it will compete with Chicago P.D., The Fosters, Law and Order: SVU and Switched at Birth.
Other TV nominees include John Leguizamo for Best Primetime Programme: Special or Movie-of-the-Week (John Leguizamo's Ghetto Clown), Nestor Carbonell for Best Supporting Actor/Television (Bates Motel), Aubrey Plaza for Best Supporting Actress/Television (Parks and Recreation), and Bella Thorne for Best Young Actress/Television (Shake It Up!).
In the film categories, family comedy Sleeping with the Fishes topped the nominations with five mentions, including another nomination for Ana Ortiz (Best Actress/Supporting Actress - Feature Film). She'll face off with co-stars Priscilla Lopez and Gina Rodriguez for the prize
The movie also earned nods for director Nicole Gomez Fisher and Best Picture, where it will battle with A Miracle in Spanish Harlem, After School, Cesar Chavez and Coyote.
Rosario Dawson and America Ferrera (Cesar Chavez) and Michelle Rodriguez (Fast & Furious 6) will also compete in the Best Actress/Supporting Actress - Feature Film category.
The 29th annual Imagen Awards, which recognise and reward positive portrayals of Latinos in the media, will be presented during a ceremony at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles on 1 August (14).

MCA via Everett Collection
To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar was ahead of its time. Audiences can easily take for granted the immense importance of this film. It’s a high profile film in the 1990s that features three high profile actors, Patrick Swayze, John Leguizamo, and Wesley Snipes playing gay men. Granted, they spend 99 percent of the movie in drag, but the film is monumental for the community. There’s wider acceptance of the gay community, appreciation for the art form of drag due to RuPaul’s Drag Race, and education about the clear distinctions between drag performers and trans women. But in 1995 this wasn’t the case. Sadly, this film is considered more of a cult classic than a major motion picture. All the same, the film is hilarious, quotable, and politically responsible. Here are some fun facts about the film:
Wesley Snipes and Jennifer Garner got to second base with the same man.Before he found success on Alias, Garner’s ex Michael Vartan had a major role in this film. In one scene, he antagonizes the ladies and Snipes grabs his privates and drags him by his member for an extended period of time.
Queen of 30 Rock You might think that Tracy Morgan and Snipes look equally bad in drag, but the real connection is Kathy Geiss. The nonverbal, unicorn loving CEO of GE was played by Marceline Hugot. She plays Katina one of the town’s residents in the film.
One Degree from Mindy Kaling As great as it would be to imagine Kaling playing a character named Noxema Jackson, the real connection is Beth Grant who plays The Mindy Project’s irate nurse Beverly also played irate townsperson Loretta.
Catwoman Connection Not only did the three leads all star with notable Catwoman Newmar in this film, all three have also starred with the most infamous Catwoman Halle Berry. Leguizamo in Executive Decision, Swayze in Father Hood, and Snipes in Jungle Fever. Snipes even dated Berry.
Start Your Engines, May the Best Woman Live Leguizamo has not been shy about his major friction with the late Swayze on set. Swayze was method and Leguizamo was improvising and making jokes to get more screen time. He says the two physically got into a fight until it was broken up by production. ChiChi, you in danger, girl!
A Cavalcade of Drag Stars This film was one of the first major motion pictures about drag. It gave early acting credits to RuPaul, Lady Bunny, Coco Peru, Laritza Dumount, and Flotilla DeBarge. It also was a major credit for the first transwoman on television Candis Cayne. Talk about helping to define the stars of tomorrow.
Work it Out! David Barton the founder of the popular New York City gym franchise has an early role as a muscle boy.
Drag is Leguizamo’s Bread and Butta’ By the time he did To Wong Foo, Leguizamo had already becoming accustomed to acting in drag. He played female roles in his one-man shows Mambo Mouth, Spic-O-Rama, and on his Fox series House of Buggin’.
Robin Williams: The Drag Years Although uncredited with his hilarious cameo, this film is sandwiched between Williams other two drag movies. In 1993, he gave old lady realness in Mrs. Doubtfire. In 1996, he played husband to a drag performer in The Birdcage.
Thanks for Everything, Carol Lynley! Before the producers secured the rights to Newmar’s name their alternate actress for the iconic photo that inspired the queens was Fantasy Island star Lynley. It doesn’t have the same ring to it, and she isn’t quite as statuesque.
It all goes back to Chinese Food. The name of the film was taken from a photo at a Times Square Chinese Restaurant that was later seen in the film where the ladies find the photo.
Curse of Wong Foo? Both Mel Gibson and Gary Oldman were in talks to potentially play drag queens in the film.
Is that a corn cob in your pocket, ma’am? Swayze surprised Chris Penn during the scene where he discovers Vida Boheme is a man. He hid a corn cob in his dress. Way to commit.

Published memoir, Pimps, Hos, Playa Hatas and All the Rest of My Hollywood Friends: My Life

Created the one-man show "Spic-o-Rama: A Dysfunctional Comedy"; later taped and broadcast as an installment of the "HBO Comedy Hour"

Appeared on stage in one-person show "John Leguizamo LIVE"; opened on Broadway as "Sexaholix"; also aired on HBO

Wrote and starred in the one-man show "Mambo Mouth"; later taped and broadcast as an installment of the "HBO Comedy Hour"

Cast as an extra in the music video for Madonna's "Borderline"

Executive produced "Joe the King," written and directed by Frank Whaley; also had a small role in film

Portrayed Benny Blanco 'from the Bronx' in De Palma's "Carlito's Way"

Made directorial debut with HBO production "Infamous"; also starred as a boxer who escapes his impoverished roots through fame

Had a supporting role in the Mike Newell adaptation of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's "Love in the Time of Cholera"

Summary

Actor, comedian, writer and producer John Leguizamo began his career on the experimental theater stages of New York's East Village, where his electrifying performances earned critical raves in one-man shows like "Mambo Mouth" and "Spic-o-Rama. " Leguizamo's stage creations were based on his childhood experiences growing up in a poor Columbian immigrant family in Queens, and his strong association with Latino culture meant he was often cast in rather flat, peripheral Latino character parts as gangsters and drug dealers on film. But the multi-talented and tireless performer also made great leaps towards the acceptance of Latino actors in a wider variety of roles, including the hilarious drag queen road comedy "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar" (1995), which helped open the doors for bigger and better jobs. He went on to play Tybalt in Baz Luhrman's revisionist take of "William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet" (1996) and received Tony Award nominations for his one-man show "Freak: A Semi-Demi-Quasi-Autobiographical Comedy" (1997). After a solid turn in Spike Lee's "Summer of Sam" (1999), he delivered a comic spin on height-challenged artist Toulouse-Lautrec in "Moulin Rouge!" (2001). Leguizamo voiced Sid the Sloth for "Ice Age" (2002) and its 2009 sequel, played Dr. Victor Clemente on "ER" (1994-2009), joined the Broadway revival of David Mamet's "American Buffalo" (2008), and had a supporting role in "The Lincoln Lawyer" (2011). After decades of hard work, Leguizamo enjoyed an expanding palette of choices heretofore unavailable to Latino actors while also playing a wider array of non-ethnic roles.

Education

Name

Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute

Sylvia Leigh's Showcase Theater

New York University

HB Studio

Murry Bergtraum High school

Notes

Leguizamo was named after 1950s B-movie actor John Saxon.

"I am Hispanic and an artist. They are both of profound importance to me. But until now, very few people have asked my opinion about what they mean. I was certainly both before 'Mambo Mouth,' and its existence does not suddenly make me a Latin oracle. Yet all of a sudden my opinion seems to matter. In the Age of Marketing, John Leguizamo has achieved shelf life. For how long may even be up to me. What a concept." – Leguizamo to The New York Times, July 14, 1991

"Spanish people in most American films and on television are on the outside: they add spice to the story, but they are never what it is about. Today, as an actor, I could make a living in the Spicorama of television and film playing the drug pusher/terrorist/immigrant/gigolo. In fact I have played the type." – Leguizamo quoted in The New York Times, July 14, 1991

"In his one-man shows, John Leguizamo is the Charles Dickens of the Latino experience in urban America" – from Interview magazine, September 1995

"I had a lot of idols, and people that I always turned to, when I'm depressed or the business gets me down, or you just feel like you have nothing else to say. Then you turn on a Richard Pryor album, and you go, 'Oh, my God, this is exactly why I did this! This is the thing that I love!' He was a big inspiration, and Lily Tomlin and Jonathan Winters too. Those are my three big inspirations, because all three were trying to tell personal stories, especially Richard Pryor. I mean, he did an expose on himself and that just grabbed me. He's amazing." – Leguizamo quoted in Venice magazine, February 1997

"I only feel the pressure about my so-called 'role modelness' from Latin wannabe intelligentsia, the guardians of what Hispanics are supposed to say and do. Like rabbis protecting the Talmud. But I just gotta follow the beat of my drum. I do what makes me feel and makes me laugh 'cause I can't do anything else. I know Latin people are proud of me regardless, 'cause I get a lot of fan mail inviting me to their homes for dinner unless it's a set up and they're planning to off me." – Leguizamo to The Los Angeles Times, May 31, 1998

His one-person show "Freak" became one of the few certifiable hits of the 1997-98 theater season. As star and writer, Leguizamo earned around $50,000 per week, making him one of – if not the – highest paid performer on Broadway during that time period. – from the Daily News, July 7, 1998